ONCHOCERCIASIS CONTROL IN THE VOLTA RIVER BASIN : NONCAPITAL PROJECT PAPER (PROP)

OVERALL PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO ELIMANTE ONCHOCERCIASIS AS AN OBSTACLE TO SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE VOLTA RIVER BASIN. IMMEDIATE PROJECT OBJECTIVES INCLUDE: INTERRUPTION OF TRANSMISSION OF THE DISEASE BY ELIMINATING THE VECTOR THROUGH PERIODIC AERIAL APPLICATIONS OF LARVICIDES;IMPLEMENTATION OF APPLIED RESEARCH AND TRAINING PROGRAMS, AND; ASSISTANCE TO PARTICIPATING GOVERNMENTS TO PREPARE REQUESTS TO MULTILATERAL AND BILATERAL SOURCES FOR SUBSEQUENT SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE FERTILE AREAS FREED FORM THE DISEASE. FIRST OF YR PROJECT FOCUSES ON ESTABLISHMENT OF ORGANIZATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND ASSURING CONTINUITY OF CONTROLOPERATIONS. PHASE ONE ACTIVITIES INCLUDE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF RADIO COMMUNICATIONS, HYDROLOGICAL STATIONS, AND STAFF EXPANSION. SIMULTANEOUSLY THERE ARE ENTOMOLGICAL SURVEYS, EPIDEMIOLOGICL EVALUATIONS, RESEARCH AND TRAINING PROGRAMS. RESEARCH UNDERTAKEN IN VECTOR ECOLOGY, VECTOR CONTROL, ENVIROMENT PROTECTION, CHEMOTHERAPHY AND EPIDEMIOLOGY. TRAINING PRIMARILY IN VECTOR CONTROL AND ECOLOGY. THREE COMMITTEES (TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP, ECOLOGICAL PANEL AND ECONOMIC ADVISORY PANEL) ENSURE TIMELY, INDEPENDANT EVALUATION OF TOTAL PROGRAM.